Factor 50 at the ready, lads.

If you had your fingers crossed for some sizzling days this bank holiday weekend, then you're in luck. According to Met Éireann's forecast, the mercury is set to rise from Thursday onwards. Thursday, the forecaster says, will be "mostly dry and calm with mild or warm sunny spells", though there will be some showers in Ulster. Highest temperatures are expected to be between 16 and 20 degrees. Friday will be "dry with long spells of sunshine and light easterly breezes" as temperatures climb to the high teens or early 20s. As for the June bank holiday weekend, Met Éireann's current indications suggest that it will be "mostly dry and warm with temperatures continuing to reach the highs teens or low 20s". Having said that, Atlantic rain belts are likely to "push through" later into the weekend. While we may be in for some sunny spells this weekend, the weather for this week is slightly different, and we'll have some cooler, rainier days to work through before the bank holiday. https://twitter.com/MetEireann/status/1531175265858117633 Today will be a mostly cloudy and showery day, with heavier showers in the north and eastern parts of the country. Some sunshine will develop later on, and we can expect highest temperatures of 11 to 15 degrees. Tomorrow, Met Éireann say, will be a cloudy day with some scattered showers on the cards. Ulster and Leinster will see the majority of the rain, while the south and southwest are expected to stay dry. Highest temperatures will be between 11 and 15 degrees. By Wednesday, the weather will start to pick up a bit, though there may be some scattered showers which may get heavy at times. Early evening will see some late sunshine develop and highs of 15 to 17 degrees are expected. By Thursday night, the outbreaks of rain will clear into the Irish Sea.